Changes in governance approved Penn State trustees

Some of the governance changes approved Friday by Penn State's Board of Trustees.

—The governor of Pennsylvania and university president will no longer be voting members of the board, reducing the number of voting members to 30.

—The president no longer holds the position of secretary of the board; secretary will now be an elected position.

—Three-year terms were extended from elected trustees to all trustees (appointed and elected) other than the ex-officio members: the secretaries of education, agriculture, and conservation and natural resources.

—Term limits for trustees (other than ex-officio members) will be 12 consecutive years, effective with terms beginning July 1, 2013.

—The waiting period for former university employees to serve on the board was extended from three to five years.

—There is now a five-year waiting period for commonwealth "row officers" to become trustees.

—A section describing the necessary process for the removal of a trustee, if need be, was added.

—The quorum requirement was modified from 13 to a majority of the voting members.

—The 13-member executive committee will be comprised of the chair and vice chair of the board; the chairs of six standing committees; the chair of the Board of Directors of the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center; the immediate past chair of the Board of Trustees; and three at-large members nominated by the governance and committee and elected by the full board.